Pet Connection: Meet Willie

A big beauty with some heartbreak in his background.

This week, we’re making a big announcement on the Morning Show.

We’re welcoming a brand-new pet rescue to Pet Connection, and they have a big mission to fill.

Pride & Joy rescue was established back in 2020 in Cass County, N.D., just around the time the pandemic was making itself felt through the world.

And co-founder Connie Faulkner got it up and running just in time.

That’s because the need for new homes for abandoned big animals like horses and goats has shot sky-high in the past two years.

Faulkner says it’s prompted in part by the same dynamic that led so many folks stuck at home to adopt dogs and cats.

But horses require even more space and time and care than those smaller pets, and when people went back to work, they couldn’t care for their new horses.

Drought in the region played a role too, Faulkner said.

That’s what brought beautiful Willie the quarterhorse in to Pride and Joy after being rescued from a slaughterhouse.

He’s 13, and has plenty of life ahead of him.

For potential adopters, though, there’s a special consideration.

For all his size and muscularity, Willie has a condition called navicular syndrome.

It is degenerative in nature, but it can be controlled with injections, pain medications, and in Willie’s case, special shoes.

Horses require appropriate space, as well as time, attention, grooming and other considerations, like any pet.

But in the case of a horse, it’s a big commitment.

If you’re not up to it, but you still want to get involved and spend some time getting to know beautiful horses like Willie, there’s an option for you.

Check it out in Willie’s video profile, and with more information, here:

https://prideandjoyrescue.com/